Locomotive stoker



- Filed July 29, 1 933 2 Sheets-Sheet l \Nn mm N A n l pl| .ll

March 31, 1936. M. RIVKIN LOCOMOTIVE STOKER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 29, 1933 Patented Mar. 31, 1936 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE Q nocomzfi s'roxna Q 7 Menahem Rivkin, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application July 29, 1933, Serial No. 682,846

Another object of the invention is to provide,

a stoker assembly as set forth includingmeans for screening the coal in the tender before delivery to the fire box for distribution on the grate, and segregating the fine particles from the more coarse pieces of coal in separate chambers for delivery tothe fire box.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a stoker device having means for delivering the segregated coarse and fine coal separately and independently to the fire box of the locomotive for consumption.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a stoker device having means for delivering the separated fine coal particles to the front end of the fire box for distribution over the grate thereof independently of the delivery of the more coarse coal in the customary manner to the rear of the fire box for distribution.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stoker device including means operable to vary the size and quantity of the fine coal separated from the more coarse coal, said means being operatively controlled at will from a point within easy access of theoperator.

- Another object of the invention is to provide a stoker device of the 'characterset forth having means for independently controlling the distribution of the fine and more coarse coal, in respectively opposite directions'from the front and rear of the fire box to effect more even distribution onthe grate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stoker device as set forth wherein the fine sep-' heretofore customary manner without screening the coal or where previously screened coal is used,

and as a double acting locomotive stoker when the coal is screened to deliver the fine screened particles separately to the fire box,- said means being operable at will and suitably controlled from the locomotive cab. t

These and other objects and certain features and details of invention are set forth hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1a is one part of a fragmentary view in section longitudinally through the fire box of a locomotive.

Fig. 1b is the other part of the disclosure in Fig. 1a. longitudinally through the tender of th locomotive. 25'

' construction of the fire box grate and the stoker casing; 25 Fig. 6 is a view in section on line 6-6, Fig. 1b; Fig. 7 is a view similar 'to Fig. 6, showing a modification of the stoker arrangement;

Fig. 8 is a. fragmentary view in section showing a modified structure for delivering the coal to the 30 forward end of the fire box; Figsl 9, 10 and 11 show in detail the construction of the discharge'fan embodied in the disclosure in Fig. 8; and

Figs. 12 and 13 are views showing still another I 5 modified form of construction for delivering the fuel to the forward end of the fire box.

Heretofore in the majority of instances, coal or like fuel has been fed to locomotive fire boxes by various means for distribution without being 40 screened, which results in relatively large fuel losses. It is well known that coal of the type used for steam locomotive combustion contains a very large percentage of very fine particles of the fuel, which heretofore have been carried 45 through the fire box and out of the smoke stack in an unconsumed. state, since due to their extremely light weight and the high velocity of the draft and combustion gases passing upwardly through the fire box and over the fire brick arch, they do not fall to the fire bed or remain in the fire box long enough for complete or even partial combustion, and the strong draft carries them partly unburned through the fire tubes and out 55 of the smoke stack, resulting in unbelievablefuel or coal losses.

The present invention contemplates the provision in association with a locomotive tender,

front end of the fire box in the same direction.

that the draft and gases are traveling,,and at a point where the draft is of least velocity and more removed from the fire tubes, the fine particles of fuel are given a chance to drop onto the grate or fire bed while the very fine particles of coal kept in suspension have their traveling distance increased, to afford more time for combustion or consumption thereof within the fire box proper.

The distribution of the fine coal from the forward end of the fire box eliminates the usual inefilcient practice of wetting coal before delivery and distribution over the grate, which results in a substantial reduction of the fire box temperature, consumes fuel for the evaporation of the moisture in the coal and fills the fire box with steam vapor, and prevents proper draft through and reduces the vacuum in the fire box.- The delivery and distribution of wet coal on the grate puts an unnecessary burden on the stoker and its engine, which is especially severe in cold weather and occasionally is put entirely out of commission in instances when the'wet coal freezes.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings and particularly to Figs. 1a, and lb thereof,

A designates the customary fire box of a steam I locomotive and B designates the tender or fuel hopper having a deck I provided with an opening la therein. A trough 2 provided with upper and lower chambers 3 and 4 respectively. is secured to the underside of the hopper deck I of the tender, and the upper chamber 3 thereof is provided with downwardly converging wall or baiiie members 5-5, spaced apart at their lower edges to aflford passage from said upper chamber 3 to the lower chamber 4. A screen or sieve member designated generally as 6 is slidably mounted between the upper and lower chambers 3 and 4 of the trough 2"and arranged forhorizontal movement with respect thereto. In the present instance the screen or sieve 6 is provided with a solid central portion 1 and screen or sieve portions 3 and 9 of relatively fine and coarser mesh, respectively, at either side thereof. Accordingly it will be seen that by movement'of the sieve 6 laterally with respect to Fig. 6 of the drawings, the communication between the upper chamber and the lower chamber 4 may be entirely cut off by positioning the solid central portion I of the screen between said chambers or passage from the upper to the lower chambers may be had by positioning the finer or relatively coarser mesh screens 8 and 9, respectively therebetween depending upon the degree of fineness of the fuel it is desired to have pass into the lower chamber. The sieve 6 may be operated in any suitable manner such as by a rack and pinion l0 arranged to be operated at will from within the a sence A conveyor screw H is mounted longitudinally within the chamber 3 of the trough 2 immediately above the opening at the bottom thereof and' this conveyor screw II is connected by means of a universal joint I2 to a second conveyor screw section l3 rotatably mounted within a casing l4 connected at its rearward extremity to the trough 2 by means of a joint similar to a ball and socket arrangement, the forward end thereof being connected by means of aneck I6 to the rear end ll of the locomotive fire box A. A similar conveyor screw l8, which may or may not be of smaller diameter than the screw l I, is mounted longitudinally within the lower trough chamher 4, adjacent the bottom thereof and this conveyor screw I8 is connected through a universal Joint l9 to another conveyor screw section 20, which is in turn connected through a universal joint 2| to another screw section 22, said conveyor screws and 22 being rotatably mounted -within housings or casings 23 and 24, respectively, connected to each other and to the chamber 4 of the trough 2 by means of joints 25 and 26' similar to ball and-socket arrangements, re-

spectively. The forward end of the screw conveyor 22 is journaled in a neck 21 which connects the forward end of the conveyor casing 24 with the forward end 28 of the fire box.

The lower fuel stoker is shown in each instance as arranged to deliver fuel at the front end 28 of the locomotive fire boxA below the fire arch F, and while this particular arrangement is preferable and affords a maximum fuel combustion with least fuel stack losses, it is pointed out that the delivery of the fine particles of coal which have been separated from the more coarse thereof, may occur at any point longitudinally of the fire box between the front and rear walls thereof with increasing efficiency, .depending upon the point of delivery with respect to the forward end 28. It should be borne in mind, however, that such delivery of the fine coal in the fire box A should occur at a point below the point of delivery of the more coarse fuel at the rear end I! of the fire box.

The conveyor housings or casings in the present instance are supported from the underside of the fire box ateach end thereof by suitable tween the ends of said fire box is connected to the underside of the central grate support 32. A shield 33 is positioned over the conveyor casings below the grate to defiect ashes and heat from the fire bed on the grate out of the'path of said casings.

In the present instance the screw conveyor II is driven in the usual manner by means of a stoker engine (not shown) through a, gear 34 on the-conveyor shaft, and the lower conveyor screw l8 and its connected sections 20 and 22 are driven from the same stoker engine operating to drive the conveyor I I through said gear 34 by means of a pivotally mounted gear 35 meshed with the gear 34 and movable into and out of mesh with a gear 36 fixed on the rear end of the lower. conveyor screw shaft Hi. It will be seen therefore that by moving the gear 35 into or out of engagement with the gear 36, the lower stoker conveyor l8 may be placed in operation or not as may be desired under the particular operating circumstances.

The apparatus controlling operation of the conveyor screws II and l 8 is preferably arranged withinthe locomotive cab as has been customary in the past, but for the purposes of description supports 23 and 30 and a support 3| midway be- II and 58 may be respectively controlled.

The openings to permit entrance of fuel inwardly of the fire box A at each end I1 and 28, respectively, thereof are provided with the usual fuel distributing plates 31 and 38, together with the customary steam impelling nozzles or jets, such as at 39, 40 and 4|.

In operation of the stoker, the fuel drops from the tender or hopper B into the upper chamber ,3 of the trough in which is located the conveyor screw H. Rotation of the conveyor screw ll acts to shift and juggle fuel in the chamber and facilitates separation of the fine particles of fuel from the more coarse thereof, and accelerates passage of said fine particles through the screen 8 or 9, whence they drop into the lower chamber 4 and are delivered to the front end of the fire box by the screw l8. To facilitate better screening operation the upper conveyor screw ll may be constructed with teeth or projections Ila on its threads to give the coal a circular motion and vibrate or jar the screen.

The fuel carried by the conveyors II and I8 is delivered to the discharge boxes or necks l6 and 21, from which it passes onto the distributing tables or plates 31 and 38. At thefront end the fuel is assisted by a jet 4| and from these tables the fuel is distributed over the fire box grateby means of jets 39 and 40. It will be noticed that the distributing plate 31 atthe front end of the fire box is located at a point below the distributing plate 38 at the rear end thereof, and disposed at such an angle of distribution that the fine coal is carried down on the grate not only by its own gravity but also by the dragging action and weight of the larger pieces of coal distributed from the higher level.

A modification of the lower conveyor casing below the fire box A is shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, wherein the central grate support 32a and said casing are cast as an integral member with a vertical connecting web 42 having transverse strengthening webs 43.

A modification of the construction of the trough located beneath the fuel hopper B is shown in Fig. 7 andmay be provided with a stationary screen 80 of predetermined fixed mesh. The bottom of the upper chamber 411.- of this modified trough 2a is of semi-circular configuration to facilitate removal or replacement of the screen in with a solid partition or screens of difierent sized mesh. In this modified form the sieve may also be composed of a number of sections having different sized openings, said sieve being arranged to move longitudinally of the conveyor screws II and I8 in ordento bring the different sections or a blank section opposite the opening in the trough 2a..

In addition numerous modifications may be incorporated in the construction of the discharge box or neck 21 for delivering the fine 'fuel' from the lower conveyor screw l8 to the fire box. For instance, in Fig. 8 a distributing fan is rotatably mounted within the discharge box or neck 21a and is driven by the screw shaft 22 through gears '45 and 46, rotatably mounted within a small housing 41 at the' forward end of said discharge box 21a. The fan 44 is formed with a number in the discharge box 21a, pick up the fuel from 7 the lower end of said discharge box at the forward extremity of the conveyor screw and discharge the same inwardly of the forward end 28 of the fire box against a hood 49, which deflects the fuel into the path of a jet 40a and distributes be carried from the end of the conveyor 22 through the discharge box 21b to theforward end 28 of the fire box by means of a vertically positioned screw section 50 driven from the conveyor screw shaft by means of gears ii, 52 and the worm arrangement 53, 53a as shown in Figs. 12 and 13 of the drawings.

The present invention affords an ideal solution to the ever present problem of eliminating the comparatively large fuel losses in locomotive operation, and while a particular form of the invention has been set forth for the purpose of description, it is not intended that the same be limited precisely thereto within the scope of the annexed claims.

What is claimed is: l. A steam locomotive having a fire box and a fire arch extending inwardly of said fire box from one end wall thereof, afuel hopper, a trough in-- cluding upper and lower chambers disposed below said hopper and arranged to receive fuel therefrom, means for separating said chambers adjustably operable and constructed to permitfuel of predetermined fineness to pass to the lower chamber, means mounted in the upper chamber operable to deliver the more coarse particles of fuel therein to the other end of the fire box from said fire arch, and means in the lower chamber operable to deliver the finer particles of fuel therein into the other end of the fire box at a point' below and in a direction opposite to the feed of the more coarse particles of fuel.

2. A steam locomotive having a fireboxand a fire arch extending inwardly of said fire box from one end wall thereof, a, fuel hopper, a'

trough i eluding upper and lower chambers disposed be ow said hopper and arranged to receive fuel therefrom, means for. separating said chambers adjustably operable and-constructed to permit fuel of predetermined fineness to pass to the lower chamber, means mounted in the upper chamber operable to'deliver the more coarse particles of fuel therein to the other end of the fire box from said fire arch, and means in the lower chamber'operable to deliver the finer particles of fuel therein into the fire box adjacent the other end thereof at a point affording maximum distance of travel for said fine particles of fuel through said fire box.

3. A steam locomotive having a fire box and a determined fineness from the more coarse particles thereof, means operable to deliver the more coarse particles of fuel to the other end of the fire box from said fire arch, and means operable to deliver the finer particles of fuel into the other endv of the fire box at a point below and in a direction opposite to the feed of the more coarse particles of fuel.

4. A steam locomotive having a fire box and a fire arch extending inwardly of said fire box from one end wall thereof, a fuel hopper, means associated with said hopper adjustably operable and constructed to segregate particles of fuel of predetermined fineness from the more coarse particles thereof, means operable to deliver the more coarse particles of fuel to the other end of the fire box from said fire arch, and means operable to deliver the finer particles of fuel into the fire box adjacent the other end thereof at a point affording a maximum distance of travel for said fine particles of fuel through said fire box.

5. A steam locomotive having a fire box and a fire arch extending inwardly of said fire box from one end wall thereof, a fuel hopper, a trough including upper and lower chambers disposed below said hopper and arranged to receive fue ltherefrom, meansfor separating said chambers adjustably operable and --constructed to permit fuel of predetermined fineness to pass to the lower chamber, means mounted in the upper chamber operable to deliver the more coarse particles of fuel therein to the other end of the fire box from said fire arch, and means in the lower chamber operable to deliver the finer particles of fuel therein into the fire box adjacent the other end thereof at a point affording a maximum distance of travel for said fine particlesof fuel through said fire box, said delivery being below and in a direction opposite to the delivery of the more coarse particles of fuel. a 

